Method of rendering asphaltic oils more limpid.



No. 781,240. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

E. A. STARKB. 7

METHOD OF-RENDERING ASPHALTIG OILS MORE LIMPID.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1903.

p e T UNITED I STATES Patented aiiuary 31, 1905.

- PATENT: OF ICE.

nsrc IA. STARKE, oF- ALAMEDA, CALIFORNI METHOD OF BEND-BRING ASPHALTIC OILS. MORE LIIMPID.

SPECIFIIQATION forming part of Letter To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that L-ERIC A. STARKE.a citizen of the United States,- residing at Alameda,

in the .county of Alameda and Statei'of Cali fornia, have invented new and usefulIm'provemerits in. Methods of Rendering Asphaltic'Oils More Limpid, of which the followingis a specification.

invention relates" to a. method for re. using the viscosity of heavy crude mineral and particularly. oilsof asphaltum base.-

"The-sticky. and immobile quality of the heavier 'asphaltic oilsv renders it el'ifiicult to to flow more readily is only temporary in eftransport them through pipe-lines or to use them to advantage for fuel purposes-.' The ordinarymethod of heating the oil to'causeit feet, and'as soon as the oil cools it returns to its normal sluggish viscid state.

The object of my invention is to so treat 1 the oil that While retaining, essentially,all its original constituentsit will be rendered permanently' limpid.

In'the practice of my invention 1 proceed as follows: I subject the heavy crude oils to a partialdistillation by distilling ofl" acertain quantity therefrom and then reunite the distillate with the undistilled residuum or still- I bottom and thoroughly mixing the two. This is the finished product. The amount of distillate that, is to be taken olf'from a still charge depends wholly upon the limpidity of the I product desired, the greater the desired fluidity the larger the amount of distillate; In

my experiments I have found that about onehalf of the still charge as distillate is sulficient. If'distillation. proceedsmuch beyond one-half, the residuum of the charge or stillbottom, as it is called, becomes converted into coke. It is desired for obvious reasons to discontinue distillation short of coking or before any considerable carbonization takes place. The small amount of carbon that may be formed isso finely divided as to be imperceptibleQ I The'processis essentially one of dry disti'llation. [If steam, for example,:were admits Patent No. 781,240, dated January 31, 1905. Application filed Ahgust-17,'I9Q3., Serial 110,169,744.

ted to the charge during distillation no per manent change in the final product would reresultthat is, the original viscid character of the oil would remain; but-when the oil is" subjected to dry heat at a temperatureranging from 500 to 650. Fahrenheit a molecular disturbance or cracking takes place, so that when the subsequent admixture of the distillate and still-bottom occurs the resulting product is a liquid of approximately the same bulk as-the original body, but of lighter and more limpid quality, which will flow readily at ordinary temperatures.

The figure represents an apparatus suitable for carrying out .my-process. I

' A is a retort of ordinary construction. The crude oil is admitted at 2.- The distillate is thrown over to the condenser 3 through a pipe 4, the condensed product being collected in a tank '5. When distillation has-proceeded to a certain point, the still-bottom is discharged through pipe 6 into tank 5 and thoroughly mixed with the distillate already therein. The still-bottom is suitably cooled-during its passage from the retort to-the tank.

Having thus described. my invention, what I I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of rendering heavy mineral oils more liquid which consists in subjecting the oil to a partial distillation at a temperature ranging from 500 to 650 Fahrenheit and reuniting the distillate and residuum and mixing the mass thoroughly.

2. The process of rendering heavy oils of asphaltum base more liquid,'whioh consists in subjecting the oil to dry distillation, discontinuing distillation short of coking, and re' the oil to a partial distillzition at such tem- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set perature as to effect a separation of the more my hand in presence of two subscribing witvolatile products from the still -bottorn-, nesses.

continuing the distillation to such time and at ERIC A. STARKE. 5 such a temperature as to crack the still-bottom \Vitnesses: and reuniting the distillate and cracked re- HENRY P. TRICOU,

sid uum. S. H. NoURsE; 

